Season so far- Who looks like promotion/relegation candidates and why?

[Indian Dan]

Can't see it meself. There are more than 4 worse sides than Rovers.

 

[Aber gas]

Someone left the L2's forum back door open so I'm out for a stroll.

Dunno who's going up but Scunny and the Blades look solid.

But I'm more interested in who's going down seeing as we'll be spending another year at least in L2. Once again I'll admit I don't have a clue but it's not looking good for the Gas I reckon. A 1-5 defeat at home to Charlton coupled with a loss at Chesterfield (a side no one ranks apparently) only means they were performing miracles at the start of the season. And when even the ginger Messi cannot save you then you know you're really in it

 

[joethegill]

Can't see it meself. There are more than 4 worse sides than Rovers.

Probably right. But like Northampton, their promotion momentum is running thin now. Plus when you look at Rovers squad, other than Taylor (and that Chelsea loanee whose name I can't recall) there really isn't a huge amount of quality for this level, and if he stops scoring then they're bang in trouble. Still think they'll probably escape though.

 

[Indian Dan]

We're crap - but there are 4 worse sides than us. And Rovers are better than us.

Unless they implode completely they'll be nowhere near the bottom 4.

Shrews, Oldham, Bury have nailed 3 of the spots already!

 

[codaplenty]

Now then lads there could be a dark horse on the horizon called Fleetwood ! Rosler has really got hold of this team and we are looking good in all areas of the squad. Without doubt our loan players have really come up to the mark, Chris Long ( Burnley ) Kyle Dempsey ( Huddersfield ) - a real gem, and George Glendon ( Man City ). David Ball has been rejuvinated under Rosler and is up there with the league's leading scorers, the guy scores sublime goals and if he can start putting away the easier chances he will really soar. Throw in our wing backs Amari Bell and Conor McCloughlin who are both scoring regular and you will see why we are the only team in league 1 to have scored in every match so far this season
Dont Devante Cole, the lad has real skill and the only problem is he cant f....score, the mind boggles where we might be if he finds his form, come to think of the back of the net will go down rather well !

 

[dolph]

Probably right. But like Northampton, their promotion momentum is running thin now. Plus when you look at Rovers squad, other than Taylor (and that Chelsea loanee whose name I can't recall) there really isn't a huge amount of quality for this level, and if he stops scoring then they're bang in trouble. Still think they'll probably escape though.

Don`t think it`s anything to do with our promotion momentum running thin, I think it`s to do with our new manager changing all but 2 of our promoted side. current side isn`t a patch on last seasons

 

[joethegill]

Don`t think it`s anything to do with our promotion momentum running thin, I think it`s to do with our new manager changing all but 2 of our promoted side. current side isn`t a patch on last seasons

Well you started off fine - very well in fact. Then a couple of bad results/late defeats and the confidence/momentum all went away as I thought it would and you've dipped down. It happens to promoted teams fairly regularly.

 

[Camborne Gills]

It is a weird division this year, when we are in the bottom half, but only 3 points off the POs!!

 

[womble76]

Well you started off fine - very well in fact. Then a couple of bad results/late defeats and the confidence/momentum all went away as I thought it would and you've dipped down. It happens to promoted teams fairly regularly.

I keep waiting for it to happen to us, so far so good but can't relax until 50 plus points

 

[Wombling Kiwi]

I keep waiting for it to happen to us, so far so good but can't relax until 50 plus points

Thats my thoughts, get to 52 points then see what we can do.

 

[joethegill]

I keep waiting for it to happen to us, so far so good but can't relax until 50 plus points

I think this is the difference between yourselves and Northampton/Rovers - you didn't expect too much from this season whereas the other two were on here almost expecting a play-off charge. That mentality has done you guys well so far.

 

[leedsvaliant]

As said on another thread, it seems like 3 or 4 teams are playing well and the rest of us are basically crap and the least crappest will end in the play offs. It's a strange league, we've been shit for about 2 months but are still only 2 points off the play offs.
As with others, the sooner we get to 52 points the better for me, we're just fortunate that we've got some points on the board already really.

 

[Big Bird]

Quite funny that were only 6 points off 6th place considering how shit we've mostly been. Fancy one or two clubs from outside the pack to recruit well and end up taking a play off spot. Top 3 to stay the same in any order, Oldham and Shrews to go down with the rest being completely wide open.

Don't think we'll end up going down unless we fail to add 2 or 3 in January. A striker to take pressure off of Obika is crucial as when he's injured we struggle.

 

[joethegill]

Quite funny that were only 6 points off 6th place considering how shit we've mostly been. Fancy one or two clubs from outside the pack to recruit well and end up taking a play off spot. Top 3 to stay the same in any order, Oldham and Shrews to go down with the rest being completely wide open.

Don't think we'll end up going down unless we fail to add 2 or 3 in January. A striker to take pressure off of Obika is crucial as when he's injured we struggle.

But you've got Super Luke Norris?

 

[Big Bird]

But you've got Super Luke Norris?

Refund.

 

[joethegill]

Refund.

Nah you're alright.

 

[bantamigo]

We've got some quality players this year and our play is light years ahead of last season (when we finished 5th) but are only 1 place higher at the moment. As people have said we just don't have a consistent striker and we end up drawing games too often by not taking chances and then conceding the odd goal on the break. I can't see us dropping the required money to bring a consistent striker in so looks like we are aiming for play-offs.

Will endorse the opinion that apart from Sheff Utd no one had impressed me at all. We should have won every game comfortably at home other than the Sheff Utd game. We've been beaten 3 times away but 2 of those were by 1-0 margins (both goals from decent free kicks) and the only team who've beaten us convincingly is Southend. They were good at VP as well so might be a shout for play-offs.

As for bad teams at the bottom Shrewsbury just turned up and rolled over when we were playing in second gear, they looked doomed.

 

[LadyWomble]

I think this is the difference between yourselves and Northampton/Rovers - you didn't expect too much from this season whereas the other two were on here almost expecting a play-off charge. That mentality has done you guys well so far.

Northampton fans have always struck me as a sensible, balanced lot. The loss of their manager and possibly best player (Holmes) in the close season would have tempered their aspirations, surely? Brizzle Rovers are odd though! Unusually amongst football fans, they're relentlessly optimistic. Fair play to them. I'm sure the other promoted team (Oxford) had the hope of consecutive promotions, even with the loss of Roofe and the other one whose name I forget. But, it's so tight - Brizzle are only 2 points off 6th place, Oxford 3 points and Northampton 5 points away. League positions, certainly in the middle pack, don't mean much at this stage. As long as we finish above the bottom 4, I'll be happy; if we can do it without the coronary-inducing Survival Saturday we had on the last day of our 2nd L2 season, even better.

 

[blademan89]

81 shots in our last 4 games only 7 points.

 

[Sheffsteel]

Our first half a dozen games we were pretty average and looked a top half team.
But regards our last 11 games we were decent away at Bradford and decent at home to MK Dons
But the other 9 we've been really impressive, totally dominant with the look of champions.

Our 15 match unbeaten record went tonight but we had chance after chance, loads of goalmouth scrambles.
Had 2 goals disallowed and Sharp had a last minute penalty saved by the keeper (again).

Performances wise this is the best United team I've seen for a few years, play good football too.
The midfield is the strongest area and the attack the weakest part of the team.
Early days yet, teams doing well slip away and there's always a team lower that goes on a run.

Still confident we'll finish top 2.

 

[blademan89]

Our first half a dozen games we were pretty average and looked a top half team.
But regards our last 11 games we were decent away at Bradford and decent at home to MK Dons
But the other 9 we've been really impressive, totally dominant with the look of champions.

Our 15 match unbeaten record went tonight but we had chance after chance, loads of goalmouth scrambles.
Had 2 goals disallowed and Sharp had a last minute penalty saved by the keeper (again).

Performances wise this is the best United team I've seen for a few years, play good football too.
The midfield is the strongest area and the attack the weakest part of the team.
Early days yet, teams doing well slip away and there's always a team lower that goes on a run.

Still confident we'll finish top 2.

I agree. I also thought we were brilliant at Bradford but so we're they it was an absolutely cracking game to watch

 

[Deepcut Cobbler]

We probably took off too well, probably on the back of a promotion bounce, which quite wrongly raised some of our supports pre-season expectations a bit.
We are currently in a four loss free fall which once the pilot pulls back on the joystick we will hopefully level at our expected mid table altitude for the remainder of the season instead of continuing into a terminal tail spin.
As long as we keep in the air and not land back in League Two I know that the majority will be happy to hear the jingle announcing that we have reached our end of season destination on time and at the right airport.

 

[LordJord]

I came into this season hoping for mid table and would still be more than happy with that. I maintain that if we had of been able to keep Wilder and Holmes that we could have been a playoff contender. There have been so many close games this season where someone of Holmes ability could clearly have made the difference. Whilst we have lost 4 on the spin I maintain we will finish around 15th. Would be fine by me, although we have blown all the momentum we built up from winning the league last year with all the squad changes.

 

[Apollo]

I came into this season hoping for mid table and would still be more than happy with that. I maintain that if we had of been able to keep Wilder and Holmes that we could have been a playoff contender. There have been so many close games this season where someone of Holmes ability could clearly have made the difference. Whilst we have lost 4 on the spin I maintain we will finish around 15th. Would be fine by me, although we have blown all the momentum we built up from winning the league last year with all the squad changes.

That consistency of keeping a promotion winning squad together is an interesting point. We had ours really ripped apart with the Roofe, O'Dowda, Hylton, Jake Wright, and many others leaving, it has taken a while to get any form of consistency going, (the next few months will tell whether or not we can achieve this). I think Neil Ardley has done a marvelous job on the team spirit and work ethic at Wimbledon, and Bristol Rovers have had a great start although a slight dip in the last few weeks. Of the promoted teams, I think the Dons could finish highest, with the us, Rovers, and Northampton occupying similar positions at the end of the season.

 

[LordJord]

That consistency of keeping a promotion winning squad together is an interesting point. We had ours really ripped apart with the Roofe, O'Dowda, Hylton, Jake Wright, and many others leaving, it has taken a while to get any form of consistency going, (the next few months will tell whether or not we can achieve this). I think Neil Ardley has done a marvelous job on the team spirit and work ethic at Wimbledon, and Bristol Rovers have had a great start although a slight dip in the last few weeks. Of the promoted teams, I think the Dons could finish highest, with the us, Rovers, and Northampton occupying similar positions at the end of the season.

The last game we played against Bolton we had only 1 starter that started our last game of the season last year. That team won league 2 with 99 points, major surgery was in no way required. Only Holmes who handed in a transfer request left when it was out of our hands. We gave Nicky Adams to Carlisle and many others dont even get a look in. Not sure why PAge changed it so much tbh, guess it was just the standard new boss wanting his own players.

 

[Strawberry_Jam]

Which is understandable I guess, if Page hadn't made a big deal when he was appointed of 'continuity' etc. To me one of the main reasons why he was appointed by Thomas. But as we all know, Page doesn't actually realise what he is saying, as he is constantly on auto pilot to 'cliché central'

 

[Muzzle]

Which is understandable I guess, if Page hadn't made a big deal when he was appointed of 'continuity' etc. To me one of the main reasons why he was appointed by Thomas. But as we all know, Page doesn't actually realise what he is saying, as he is constantly on auto pilot to 'cliché central'

You'll be alright, saw nothing to make me think you won't be mid table

 

[Dale4ever]

We didn't win for 8 matches at the start of the season, then won 6 on the spin to propel ourselves into the playoff places. Since that run we've continued to be fantastic at home but absolutely shocking away. If we can keep the home form going and start even drawing away instead of being tonked every game we actually have a decent chance of playoffs. We still have a lot of injuries at the moment though, suppose we will only get better once we have a full squad to pick from again.

 

[NorfolkWomble]

We didn't win for 8 matches at the start of the season, then won 6 on the spin to propel ourselves into the playoff places. Since that run we've continued to be fantastic at home but absolutely shocking away. If we can keep the home form going and start even drawing away instead of being tonked every game we actually have a decent chance of playoffs. We still have a lot of injuries at the moment though, suppose we will only get better once we have a full squad to pick from again.

Game against us I can't remember a side looking as bad as you did in a long long time all over the shop. How come it turned, clearly doing pretty well now?

 

[Dale4ever]

Game against us I can't remember a side looking as bad as you did in a long long time all over the shop. How come it turned, clearly doing pretty well now?

In the run of games where we didn't win, there was only 2 games we actually played badly in. The one against you, and away at Vale too. The Vale one was actually worse! Other than that we played pretty well in all our matches but we didn't score enough when on top & seemed to be punished for every little mistake. Then in our run of 6 wins in a row I wouldn't say we were even playing that much better than we were overall in the previous matches where we failed to win. Since that draw against you at home we've won 7 consecutive home matches conceding just one goal (a penalty against Fleetwood). Like I said above if we sort out our away form we have a good chance of playoffs.

I'm pleasantly surprised by how your season is going so far, I just didn't expect you to have anywhere near enough quality (no disrespect), glad I've been proved wrong and similar to ourselves you're punching above your weight in many ways. Long may it continue for us both.